Building E-E-A-T for Lead Gen Sites

Hi. Been running a model where I build out agency style sites in various niches, collect leads and sell them off to real agencies for fulfillment.

The sites are basically only me behind it but they need to look like legit operations for both conversions and rankings.

I've been researching how far you actually need to go with author profiles, about pages, and trust signals to build E-E-A-T.

Here's what I'm stuck on:

1) Can google actually detect fake author profiles?

Like if I create fictional AI team members with bios and headshots, can google figure out these people dont exist?

2) Is buying linkedin accounts worth it?

Some people say buy aged linkedin profiles and link them from author bios for entity signals. Anyone actually tried this? Does it help rankings or is it just a waste of money?

3) What do you put on the about page?

I dont want my real identity on any of these sites. If google ever decides to crack down or does a manual review I dont want them connecting the dots and taking down my whole network in one go.

But having no about page or a garbage one kills trust. Whats the play here? Fake founder? Brand focused page with no personal info?

4) If you got any other EEAT tips that would apply to a setup like mine id love to hear them too

Thanks

Most people overcomplicate E-E-A-T for lead gen tbh. Just make the site look like a real local business, add legit about/contact pages, reviews, entity signals and some real local content. I’ve seen basic sites outrank “authority” sites just because they looked more trustworthy + matched search intent better.

Google can often spot weak or fake E-E-A-T signals when author profiles have no real online presence or credibility. Buying aged LinkedIn accounts usually adds little value unless they look genuinely active and trusted. Many lead gen site owners now focus more on strong branding, testimonials, and case studies instead of fake personas. A professional brand based About page with clear business details is usually safer and more effective long term.

Google probably can’t “prove” a profile is fake instantly, but over time weak entities leave footprints.

No mentions, no activity, stock AI photos, empty LinkedIn pages etc. all add up.

Safer route is building strong brand-level trust instead of fake personas everywhere.